Cane-harvester.



No. 829,328. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906. A. DURIEU, JR. CANE HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 12 kQAff/ZLUZDZUZE f,

witvmaaea Guam;

N0. 829,828. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

- A. DURIEU, JR.

CANE HARVESTER.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 16, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

attorney tot M hmooea No. 829,328. 7 v PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906. A. DURIEU, JR.

CANE HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.16,1905.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3 auueuioz No. 829,828. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906. A. DURIEU, JR.

CANE HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.16,1905.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

anvanfoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR DURIEU, J R., OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CANE-HARVEST ER.

naeeases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application fil d August 16, 1905. Serial No. 274,438.

new and useful Improvements in Cane-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for harvesting sugar-cane, its object being to provide a simple and efficient construction 'of machine which cuts, to s, and strips the blades from the cane an deposits the cane across the furrow upon the ground in position to be easily gathered by hand or machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cane-harvester embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the cutter-deck and itssupported parts detachedfrom the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the shaft and cams for raisingand lowering the canecutters. Fig. 6 is a detail view'of the adjustable bracket carrying the cutters and raised and lowered by said shaft and cams. Fig. 7 is a cross-section through: the feedroller; Fig. 8 is a view looking from the rear toward the stripping and breaking belts. Fig. 9 is a top lan view showing the rackand-pinion mec able member of the fifth-wheel; Figs. 10 and 11 are detail longitudinal sectional views of the discharge devices; and Fig. '12 is a section on the line 12 12 of Fig. 2, showing'the arrangement of the breaking-blades.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents a main supporting-frame which may be of any referred construction and is provided with ongitudinal side bars or beams 2,-connected at their rear ends by a rear cross bar or beam 3.

The side bars'2 are attached to de ending brackets 4, to which are attached tie axle and supportsof rear supportingwheels 5. The wheels 5 serve as driving-wheels, a

sprocket-wheel 6 being fixedly attached to t l e axle thereof and driven by a' sprocketchain 7, passing around a sprocket wheel or pinion 8 on an engine-shaft 9. The shaft 9 is suitably journaled on the frame land driven by a hydrocarbon or other engine 10, subported upon the rear portion of the frame. A

anism for turning the -mov-' clutch device 11 of any preferred construction is provided for throwing the sprocketwheel 8 into and out of gear with the shaft 9 to couple and uncouple the driving-gearing.

Hangers 12 project downward from the I frame-bars 1 and support the axle and fifth wheel of front supporting and steering wheels 13. The movable member 14'of the fifth-wheel is toothed at its rear-to form a segment 15, with which meshes a pinion 16, mounted upon the lower end of a steering shaft or post 17, carr ing at its upper end a worm-w reel 18, mes ing with the worm on a worm-shaft 19, carrying at its outer end a hand-wheel 20. By operating this shaft motion may be transmitted to the steering and supporting wheels 13 to turn the same in one direction or the other to steer the machine.

Arranged below the front portion of the frame 1'is a guide and cutter deck or platform 21, which is supported from the main frame by vertical hangers 22, which are grooved to form guides 23 open on their inner sides, as clearl shown in Fig. 4. The hangers 22 are rein orced from the frame 1 at each side of the machine by a brace 24, and the latform is reinforced at each side from the iangers bybraces 25. The said deck or latform carries guides 26, convergently reatedto gather the cane in the forward motion of the machine and conduct the same in compact form rearwardly to be severed by cutting means. I

The cutting means comprises horizontal cutting disks or wheels 27, arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane and fixedly mounted upon vertical shafts 28, journaled at their lower ends in bearings 29, formed u on the main bar or horizontal portion 30 0 a supporting-bracket 31, the vertical members or arms 32 of-which are fitted to slide in the,

guides 23 of the hangers 22 and are formed with laterallyrojecting eyes 33, which extend outward y through the slots on the inner sides of said guides and are attached to the forward ends of adjusting cords or cables 34. The cables 34 pass over direction-pulleys 35, carried 'by the frame 1, and extend rearwardly and are attached to eccentric shoes or cams 36, carried by a transverse shaft 37, suitably supported .upon the frame 1, to which shaft 18 fixed an adjusting-lever 38, provided with a dog or pawl to engage a toothed rack 39, fixed to the frame 1, by-

with the beveled gears to rotate therewith,-

and yet are permitted to slide freely therethrough to raise and lower the cutters. The beveled gears 41 are driven by beveled pinions 42, carried by horizontal shafts 43,.prjo vided at their rear ends with beveled pimons 44, which mesh with pinions 45 upon the outer ends of a transverse shaft. 46, carrying an intermediate sprocket-wheel 47, driven by a chain 48 from a sprocket-wheel 49, carried by a transverse shaft 50, which in turn receives motion from I a counter -,shaft 51 through the medium of a sprocketchain 52,

' passing around sprocket-wheels 53 and 54 on latform. The counter-shaft 51 is said shafts. The gears 41 are revolubly mounted upon the u per ends of tubular standards 41*, carried y the platform 21 and through which the shafts 28 extend and by which they are guided in their adjusting movements, while the shafts 43 and 46 are journaled in brackets 46, carried rom a transverse power-shaft 55 by means of a chain 56, passing around sprocketwheels 57 and 58, and said power-shaft in turn receives motion from the engine-shaft 9 through a chain '59, engaging sprocket-wheels 60 an 61 on said shaft. The sprocket-wheel 61 is connected with the shaft 9 by means of a clutch device 62, whereby it may be thrown into and out of engagement therewith to start or stop the motion of the cutters and other operating parts of the .ma chine.

Arranged upon the forward portion of the machine above. the rear portion of the deck or 1platform 21 is a peripherally spurred or s i ed feed-roll 63, mounted on a transverse s aft 64 and operatively connected with the shaft 50 b a sprocket-chain 65, engaging s rocketeels 66 and 67, fixed on said s afts. This roller revolves in an upward and rearward direction to throw the athered and cut stalks of cane'upward onto t e upper front portion of the frame 1. Fixed guiderods 68 extend downward from the forward portion of the frame 1 to the rear ends of' the guides 26 and serve to conduct the stalks of cane from the latter to the roller 63 and maintain the cane in contact with said roller, so that the spurs'or spikes thereof will penetrate the cane and force it upwardly onto the Guidero s 68 are also provided and extend on an upward inclination from the outer ends of .which pass over mounted on the b the diiven .will be broken from the stalks passa e of thelatter beyond the rushes; butout breakage.

the guides 26 to the guide-rods 68. These rods 68 are provided to guide any cane that may have been blown or fallen across the furrows to an upright position for proper passage to the feed-roll.

Extending horizontally from one side of the main frame 1 is a horizontal side frame or platform 69, and operating transversely of the frames 1 and 69 is a stalk-conveyer consisting of a series of eonve er-chains 70, iguide sproc et-wheels 71,

ames, convey the cut stalks thrown by the feedwheel 63 upon the frame 1 over to the frame 69. The respective end sets of sprocketwheels 71, on which the chains 70 are mounted, are carried by longitudinal shafts 72 and and is adapted to 73, and motion is communicated to the shaft 72 from the transverse counter-shaft 51 by spur-gears 74 and 7 5.

Mounted upon the innerrearportion of the frame 69 are lower and upper stripping and breaking brushes 76 and 77, each consisting of an endless belt mounted upon shafts 78 and provided with transverse rows of bristle or steel brush-heads 79. As the cane travels laterally from the frame 1 to the frame. 69 the upper portions, including the tops thereof, pass between the res ective u per and lower workin stretches o the brus elts and are strippe thereby of their blades and shoots and the tops also broken at the proper joint. It will be understood that this operation of stripping the blades and breaking the to s is accomplished by the action 011 the steel rushes 79 of the belts 76 and 77,

which as theeane is moved laterall by the conveyer-belts 70 stri the blades rom the upper half ofeach sta As the upper portion of the stalk is thus weakened by the re- ,moval of the shoots therefrom and as the butts of the stalks are held firmly'against the conveyer-chains 70 by resser-bars 84, the brushes acting on the stripped tip of the stalk tend to bend the same and break it at the joint. Where the tip of the cane is slender and weak, the topping action will be accomplished by the brushes as they strip the leaves therefrom, and in most cases the ti s rior to t e inor er to insure the topping of stiff or 'refractory stalks I provide auxiliary breaking means, as hereinafter described, to top the stalks which pass through the brushes With- The rear shaft of the lower brush 76 is formedby a continuation beyond the'frame 1 of the power-shaft 55, and ar ranged thereon is a spurred gear 80, meshing with a similar gear 81 on a shaft 82, the gear 81 also being in mesh with a gear 83 on the rear shaft of the upper brush 77, whereby traveling motion is imparted to said brushes from the power-shaft 55.

The stalks are held-down upon the (onby the brushes 76 and 77 through the medium of guide-bars 84, extending transversely at the forward portion of the frame 69. These bars are yieldin ly supported from the upper portion of the ame 69 by guide-stems 85, about which are arranged coiled springs 86, said springs acting .to permit an upward yielding movement of the bars 84 to comto pensate for variations in the sizes of the stalks while serving to hold said, bars ressed down upon the stalks to maintain t em in position upon the conveyer-chains while the lades thereof are being strip ed and the tops I 5 broken by the brushes. e'bars 84 thus operate as yieldingguides and pressure-shoes to hold the stalks in position while they are being treated.

In order to properly position the stalks for treatment, an equalizing guiding device 87 is provided. This guiding device consists of an endless'belt passing around guide sheaves or rollers 88, suitably mounted upon the forward portion of the framel to act upon the 2 5 stalks as they pass therefrom to the frame 69. The shaft of one of the guide-sheaves 88 carries a beveled gear 89, meshing with a beveled pinion 90 on the forward end of a shaft 91, which extends rearwardly to a point adjacent to the counter-shaft 51 and is driven therefrom by intermeshing beveled gears 92 and 93. The belt 87 extends obliquely from a point adjacent the inner and forward end of the right-hand guide 26 to the 3 5 inner and forward end of the frame 69, so that the butts of the stalks thrown up by the feedroller 63 will engage the inner stretch thereof and will be gradually forced inwardly and rearwardly thereby as the stalks are beingconveyed from the frame 1 to the frame 69 by the conveyer-belts 70. By .this means the butts of the stalks will be brought into alinement,

thus properly assembling the stalkslfor treatment by the stri 5 After the stal s have been treated by the stripping and breaking brushes they are cone v si y which com discharge devices 94 and 95, each of 5c rises av flexible worm-shaft disos'ed withln a suitable casing 96, which casmg is open or slotted on one side to allow the teeth of the shafts to project to engage the stalks. The discharge device 94 extends 5 5 from a point beyond and adjacent to the forward ends of the stripping devices forwardly at an-oblique angle beyond the outer side of the frame 69 and terminates in a downwardly and inwardly extending hook-shaped stalk vice 95 projects obliquely in a forward direction beyond the outer side of the frame in rear of the said discharge device 94. The-worm v shaft 94 is downwardly disposed or projects from ping and breakingbrushes. by the blades,

egyed by the conveyer-belts 70 to the'outer e of the frame 69, where they are engagedturning portion 97, while the discharge deveyer-belt 71 while they are being acted upon 1 casing 96, while the worm ortion of the discharge device 95 is forward y disposed or projects from the upper portion of its casing. By this construction the stalks conveyed beyond the frame'by the two discharge devices 94 and. 95 are turned so that they will drop downwardly upon the ground to lie at right angles, or substantially so, to the adjacent furrow, thus enabling them to be conveniently gathered by hand or by a machine. 75 This action is due to the fact that the'top end of the stalk will be moved outward by the discharge device 95, while the butt-end thereof will be moveddownward and inward by the discharge device 94, thus turning it to a position at right angles to the position in hi 'h't'lies when treated by the strip ing and breaking brushes and transversely o the frame of the machine. The inner end of the worm-shaft 94 is suitabl driven from the forward shaft of the brus 77, being prefer ably connected thereto b a-suitable coupling 94, while the worm-s aft 95 is provided at itsinner end with a beveled gear 98, which i is driven b a beveled gear 99 .on the rear end of. the sha t 73. In order to provide for the breaking of the tops of those stalks which are not broken by the brushes 76' and 7 7. or incompletely broken thereby, as, hereinafter described, breaking blades 100 and-101 are 5 arranged u on the frame 69 beyond the said brushes. 'l hese blades are adjusta'blymounted b means of brackets or carrier-pieces 102 in s otted guides 103. The guides 103 extend longitudinally of. the frame 69. beyond and parallel with the stripping-brushes and too in vertical alinement one above the other,

and the blades extend therefrom in'fciossed relation in the path of movementof the to s of the stalks. When the to s of the stallis come in contact with one or t e other of the blades, two of which are employed, to insure. breakage, their movement will be arrested while the butts of the stalks will continue to feed forward under the action .(o

" of the chains 70 and will be held from slip ing backward on said chains b the presserare 84, whereby under the pul of the chains the tops of the, 'stalks will be snapped off; Through their adjustable en agement with the-guides the blades may be disposed at different distances from the forward end of the frame 69 to a'ct upon the tops of stalks of different lengths.

From the ferric oing description,- taken in 12c connection with.t e accom anying drawings, the construction and mo e of o eration of my cane-harvester will be rea ily under stood, and it will be seen that it-provides a simple, convenient,- andeffectivekjcolistruc- I2 5 tion of machine, whereby the stalks-ma be uickly cut, gathered, and treats .5 t is t on ht that the advanta esof this device will he readily appreciate without further description.

Having thus described is claimed as new is- 1. In a cane-harvester, the combination of a wheeled supporting-frame, gathering and cutting devices at the forward end of said the invention, what frame, a stalk-conveyer movable transversely of. the frame, means for elevating the cut stalks to said conveyer, stripping and breaking devices disposed longitudinally of the frame andadapted to act upon the stalks, and an equalizin guide device adapted to act upon the stal sbefore they are treated the frame, means for elevating the cut stalks to the conveyer, stripping and breaking devices adapted to act upon the traveling stalks, and an guide ada ted to, act upon and level the butts of the sta ks as the latter are being conveyed to the stripping and breaking devices.

' 3. In a cane-harvester, the combination of versely of the frame, means a wheeled supporting-frame, a cutter deck or platform carried by said frame, gathering devices carried by the deck, cutters for severing the gathered stalks, shafts carrying said outters, a support for the shafts vertically adjustable to regulate the (position of the-cutters, means for operating sai support, and conveying and stripping mechanism for the stalks.

4. In a cane harvester, a supportingframe, gathering and cutting mechanism, stripping and breaking devices, conveying means, and supplemental breakin devices for actin upon the stalks when broken or incompletely broken by the first-named stripping devices.

5. In a cane-harvester, a wheeled supporting-frame, gathering and cutting mechanism at the forward end of the frame, stripping and breaking brushes, a transversely-movable conveyer, a feed device for elevating the cut stalks to the conveyer, discharge devices for discharging and turning the stalks, stalkadjusting means to act upon the conveyed stalks preliminary to their passage to the stripping and breaking brushes, a motor upon the frame, and means for operating the described parts from the motor.

6. In a cane-harvester, the'combination of a Wheeled supporting-frame, gathering and cutting mechanism at the forward end of said frame, a stalk-conveyer movable transfor conveying the cutstalks from the gathering and cutting mechanism to said conveyer, spring-actuated means for pressing the butts of the stalks against theconveyer, strip ing and breaking means disposed in rear'o the conveyer and in the line of movement of the tops of the stalks carried thereby, means disposed obliquely arranged stalkin the line of movement of the stalks for adjusting and leveling the butts of the stalks carried by the conveyer prior to the action of the stripping and breaking mechanism there on, and means for operating the several parts.

7. In a cane-harvester, the combination of a wheeled supporting-frame having a platform extending laterally therefrom, cutting and gathering mechanism at the forward end of the frame, a conveyer movable transversely across the forward portions of the frame and platform, means for feeding the cut stalks from the gathering and cutting mechanism to said conveyer, a butt-equalizing device arranged in the path of movement .of the butts of the stalks passing from the frame to the platform to adjust and level the stalks, means upon the forward portion of the platform to bear upon the stalks and hold them against the conveyer, and means uponthe rear portion of the platform for stripping and breaking the stalks as they feed across the platform and are held in positive engagement with the conveyer by the presser means.

8. In a cane-harvester, the combination of a wheeled supporting-frame having a platform extending laterally therefrom, gathering and cutting mechanism at the forward end of said frame, a stalk-conveyer movable transversely across the forward portions of the frame and platform, presser means upon the forward portion of the platform to press the butts of the stalks against the conveyer, an equalizing guide device arranged to operate upon the conveyed stalks to even the butts thereof prior to the presser means, endless belts arranged in superposed relation upon the rear portion of the platform and movable in planes longitudinally thereof to strip the tops of the stalks,

.drive mechanism on the supporting-frame, and means for actuating the various workingparts from the drive mechanism.

9. In a cane-harvester, the combination of a wheeled supporting-frame, gathering and cutting mechanism at the forward end'of said frame, a conveyer for the gathered stalks movable transversely of the frame, stripping and breaking means for acting upon the stalks carried by the conveyer, and springactuated presser-bars carried by the frame and adapted to hold the butts of the stalks in engagement with the conveyer while the tops are being acted upon by said stripping and breaking means. i

10. In a cane-harvester, a supportingframe, gathering and cuttim mechanism carried thereby, a conveyer for the gathered stalks, stripping means, and breaking-blades arranged inthe path of-movement of the stalks carriedby the conveyer, said blades being disposed in crossed relation and adjustable upon the frame. to operate upon different lengths of stalks their engagement by IIO platform, gathering means carried by' said glatfonn, gears carriedby the latform, a racket vertically adjustable with relation to the platform, shafts supported .by the bracket and having a feathered engagement with the gears to rotate therewith and slide therethrough, cutters carried b said shafts, and means for raising and owering the bracket to vertically adjust the cutters.

12. In a canearvester, a supportingfran'ie, cutting and gathering mechanism carried thereby, means for conve the gath ered stalks and moving them 1n a"plane parallel with the frame to .one side thereof, means for stri ping the movin means at the elivery side of tIie frame ,for turning the stalks to a position at right angles thereto, said means comprising and rear discharge devices, the former having a downwardly and inwardly curved portion, the latter being arranged to extend outwardly at a downward angle, both of said stalks, and

front discharge devices being extended at anangle in a'forward direction from -the frame, to

respectively operate upon the butts stripped portions of the stalks. 13. In a cane-harvester, a supportingframe carrying cutting and gathering mech anism, means for eonveyi the gathered st'alks positioned longitudina y of the frame to one side thereof, 0 erating means for the. aforesaid parts, spira discharge, devices at the discharge-point,- said devices beingar ranged one il lfear of the other at an outward and forward inclination and the front dis- 1 char e device having .a downward and inwar curvature, flexible shafts for driving said discharge devices, and means for driving said shafts from the operating mechanism.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. ARTHUR DURIEU, JR.

Witnesses:

R. E. O. Rms, AvEs M. HAYDEL. 

